Baycrest Health Sciences & Baycrest Foundation Publications
Issue link: http://baycrest.uberflip.com/i/829260
THE PROBLEM By the time memory issues related to brain disorders are discovered in older adults, there are limited treatments available. THE FIX: EARLY DIAGNOSIS Actress, filmmaker, and human rights activist Angelina Jolie made headlines in 2013 by announcing that she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy. The reason: A family history of breast cancer (her mother had died of it) and what she called a "faulty gene," referring to the BRCA gene (BRCA 1). For years, scientists and the worldwide pharmaceutical industry have been searching for similar, genetic early warning signs of dementia. But it is proving elusive. PHARMA LATER. OTHER METHODS NOW. While pharmacological interventions exist for a myriad of other health concerns, we still have a long way to go before a cure for Alzheimer disease and other dementias is discovered. But our scientists are on the case. In fact, researchers at the Rotman Research Institute were instrumental in creating and scientifically validating one of the current, most accurate technologies for assessing the onset of dementia. The Cogniciti™ Online Brain Health Assessment went live in 2014 and was created to answer the question: "Is my memory normal or should I see my doctor?" The Cogniciti test and website has had more than 200,000 adults visit the page with more than 50,000 visitors completing the brain health assessment. Many of those who complete the assessment also choose to add their names to Cogniciti's important Research Registry, which allows test data to be used in both ongoing and future research in the quest to discover a cure for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Cogniciti is a critical step on the path toward the cure – and Rotman scientists are playing a key role. " There are no medications that can reverse the atrophy that goes along with dementia. The reality is, over 99% of drugs that have entered the really pivotal, clinical trials – what are called the 'phase three' clinical trials – have failed. There is still much to be learned about why this disease occurs in the first place and what the right brain targets are for treatment. " – Dr. William Reichman, President & CEO, Baycrest Health Sciences